Message of 11-19-10
Published: Fri, 11/12/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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ANNUAL APPEAL
Spiritual direction is probably the heart of our ministry at
Heartland Center for Spirituality. It's one reason why we began
our two-year "SpiritLife" program a few years ago, and it's also a
significant part of our Internet ministry. We were among the first
retreat centers to offer spiritual direction via the Internet and a
directory of available spiritual directors. That's still going on,
even though many other retreat centers and individuals have begun
to do the same.
Developing resources for spiritual directors has been a high
priority for me. My doctoral project (1996) was entitled: "God,
Self and Ego: An Exercise in Discernment." Another resource I've
published is "Handbook for Spiritual Directees: A Book of Spiritual
Exercises," 2nd edition. Both are available through the Shalom
Place web site, and a pdf of the latter is what I'm sharing as a
gratitude gift to donors this year. I'll be doing more to promote
the little handbook in weeks ahead, but you can find out what it is
all about at http://shalomplace.com/view/handbook.html
So that brings me to an end of some of the main developments in our
Internet ministry this past year. I welcome any questions you
have, and suggestions for where we might go from here.
Phil St. Romain
Internet Ministry Coordinator
- - - Several ways you can support our Internet ministry:
a. Pray for us and for those make use of our services (that
includes you, of course).
b. Tax-deductible donation or subscription: see
http://shalomplace.com/seed/donations.html (check payment
information provided).
A special gratitude gift will be sent to all donors/subscribers.
c. Purchase an Amazon.com gift card:
-
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Francis of Assisi sang:
"Praise be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in
heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praise be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air,
cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather.
Praise be you, my Lord, through Sister Water, which is very useful
and humble and precious and chaste.
Praise be you, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you
light the night and he is beautiful and playful and robust and
strong."
(from "Praying With Francis of Assisi," by Joseph Stoutzenberger
and John Bohrer)
Breathprayer:
I walk in Beauty (breathing in)
Praising (breathing out).
Reflection exercise:
Look out a nearby window and pray with all you see. ( Example:
Thunderheads building in the west, praise God!)
- by Sr. Joel Christoph OP
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LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE DAY
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Rv 10:8-11; Ps 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131; Lk 19:45-48
R. (103a) How sweet to my taste is your promise!
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
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MEDITATION ON THE SCRIPTURES
- from
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
The Gospel Reading sparks many memories of hearing this Gospel for
years and the homilies given on it. A common theme I have heard is
that of the righteous anger of Jesus.
One way to respond to this Gospel is the very concrete image of the
parallel between the temple noted in the Reading and places of
worship and pilgrimage in 2010. When one thinks of the many
business vendors at such places selling religious items, one
realizes not much has changed in 2000 years.
Another way to respond to this Gospel is to broaden the definition
of temple to not just the Christian version of churches for Sunday
morning worship, but to define the temple as God's creation. Am I
a thief (by acts of omission) because I have not protected my
corner of God's creation, i.e., the universe?
- by Elizabeth Furlong
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SPIRITUAL READING
- Fenelon's "Maxims of the Saints"
One characteristic of the lower states of religious experience is,
that they are sustained, in a considerable degree, by meditative
and reflective acts. As faith is comparatively weak and
temptations are strong, it becomes necessary to gain strength by
such meditative and reflective acts, by the consideration of
various truths applicable to their situation, and of the motives
drawn from such truths. Accordingly, souls array before them all
the various motives drawn from the consideration of misery on the
one hand, and of happiness on the other; all the motives of fear
and hope.
It is different with those who have given themselves wholly to God
in the exercise of pure or perfect love. The soul does not find it
necessary to delay and to meditate, in order to discover motives of
action. It finds its motive of action a motive simple, uniform,
peaceable, and still powerful beyond any other power, in its own
principle of life.
Meditation, inquiry, and reasoning, are exceedingly necessary to
the great body of Christians; and absolutely indispensable to those
in the beginnings of the Christian life. To take away these helps
would be to take away the child from the breast before it can
digest solid food. Still they are only the props, and not the life
itself.
- Artilce 21
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Amazon.com gift cards - good for any occasion
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=christianspiritu
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Please help support Heartland Center's Internet ministries:
- For more info on tax-deductible donations, see
http://shalomplace.com/seed/donations.html.
Thanks for your consideration!
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